Please note: This course description is provisional and still subject to changes.
Admission requirements
Bioarchaeology or equivalent obtained;
This is a seminar with a limited number of participants (20 students), for Archaeology students exclusively.
Description
Human osteoarchaeology is the scientific study of human skeletal remains recovered from archaeological sites, providing critical primary evidence for understanding past populations, health, demography, and cultural practices. This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the identification and analysis of human skeletal and dental remains, equipping students with the methodological and theoretical frameworks necessary for osteoarchaeological research.
Through a combination of lectures, laboratory-based instruction, and case studies, students will develop proficiency in skeletal identification, in osteological methods for assessing age, sex, pathology, and trauma, as well as interpreting skeletal evidence within broader archaeological and historical contexts. Additionally, the course will address the ethical dimensions of working with human remains, including issues of repatriation, cultural heritage, and ethical stewardship in archaeological research.
By the end of the course, students will have a strong foundation in human osteoarchaeological analysis and its applications in reconstructing past lives, contributing to both academic inquiry and commercial archaeology.
Course objectives
Ability to recognise and identify human bones and teeth;
Ability to estimate sex, age-at-death of adults and non-adults, and stature;
To become familiar with common pathological conditions;
Understanding the ethical responsibilities and practices related to the study of human remains.
Timetable
Course schedule details can be found in MyTimetable.
Log in with your ULCN account, and add this course using the 'Add timetable' button.
Mode of instruction
Lectures;
Practical sessions with assignments.
Assessment method
Practical anatomy test (40%);
Exam (30%);
Skeletal analysis + group presentation (30%).
There will be one final result for this course. For all assessments, at least a 5.0 or higher is necessary in order to pass the course. A retake is only possible for the exam and the skeletal analysis + group presentation.
Assessment deadlines
The dates of exams and retakes can be found in MyTimetable. The deadlines of papers, essays and assignments are communicated through Brightspace.
Reading list
Mandatory textbook:
- The Human Bone Manual, T.D. White & P.A. Folkens (2005), ISBN: 978-0-12-088467-4.
Available digitally through Leiden University. A hard copy is recommend and can be bought at various online stores (e.g., bol.com or Amazon).
Additional literature will be announced and made available through Brightspace.
Registration
Registration start dates for the BA2 seminars differ from the registration dates of the regular courses.
Registration will take place with the use of forms. These will be e-mailed by the Administration Office to all BA2 students at the beginning of March.
The Administration Office will register all Archaeology BA2 students in uSis for their seminar exams. Important! If you want to do an exam retake, you have to register yourself via MyStudymap.
Contact
For more information about this course, please contact Dr. R. (Rachel) Schats.
Remarks
Compulsory attendance; students can miss no more than 1 class.